A bronze Barry Bonds? Kickstarter for statue on way

Barry Bonds celebrates in one of his signature stances as he crosses home plate. (Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press 2002)

AT&T Park is surrounded by Giants, both in size and reputation. The bronze likenesses of Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda and the two Willies — Mays and McCovey — have been standing tall outside the ballpark for years.

Now, a group of fans wants to make an addition to the cast of legendary Giants: an 8-foot version of the great — and greatly controversial — Barry Bonds.

A Kickstarter page is expected to go live by Thursday — which is Bonds’ birthday — with a goal of obtaining funding for the $60,000 project, which is being called “Barry Bronze.”

Hayden Simmons, a native San Franciscan and lifelong Giants fan, said he and his friends hatched the idea after Bonds’ most recent Hall of Fame snub. After looking into the costs they realized that, with some help, it seemed feasible.

“We grew up watching Barry and he just provided us with so much entertainment,” Simmons said. “I can understand that he may not be the most popular person outside of the Bay Area, but for us he’s a legend.”

“I mean, if Detroit can get one for Robocop, we should be able to get one for Barry,” Simmons said.

As with all Kickstarter campaigns, those who contribute are entitled to “perks,” in this case hats, pins, stickers, T-shirts and, if you want to fork over $5,000, the ability to help unveil the statue on opening day 2015 with a quote of your own inscribed on it.

The campaign’s creators made sure to note that if they fail to reach their goal or if they can’t find a suitable location for the statue, all funds will be returned. Simmons also said, however, that if they exceed their fundraising goal, they’ll make “Barry Bronze” even bigger.

Calls to the Giants for their take on a new statue were not immediately returned.